Implantable medical catheters and leads have been employed for a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Controlled placement of such therapy delivery elements within a patient is highly desirable, as precise placement may result in improved therapeutic efficacy or reduced side effects. However, the location of the delivery element may change in time. As the patient moves, the location of the implanted delivery element may move.
Anchors, which are typically placed about the delivery element and sutured to subcutaneous tissue of the patient, are employed to secure the position of a delivery region, e.g. infusion section or electrode, of the delivery element; e.g. catheter or lead, relative to a target location of the patient. However, existing anchors may suffer from one or more drawbacks, including (i) ineffective gripping of an implanted therapy delivery element when subjected to stresses associated patient movement, (ii) awkward techniques for placing the anchor about the delivery element or for suturing the anchor to tissue, and (iii) susceptibility to damage during suturing.